


The Journey (To You) Home

by attyohsehun



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Best Friends, Canon Compliant, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Falling In Love, First Love, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Mentions of Self-deprecation, Possibly Unrequited Love, SEHUN IS JUDGING ME, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, THIS IS BASICALLY JUST CHANYEOL WORSHIP, Unrequited Crush, sorry to my bias
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:54:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26222983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/attyohsehun/pseuds/attyohsehun
Summary: Baekhyun finds himself falling deeper in love with every stolen glance at Chanyeol’s face as they each shared an earbud on their several journeys home (that he had quite grown to cherish).
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 8
Kudos: 76





	1. Sky

**Author's Note:**

> \- i have no other excuse for this except that this is just a short self-indulgent word vomit because ChanBaek shared earphones on the subway??? i would say "DAMN #WHATFANFICISTHIS" but it ain't a fic? it happened irl like??? damn high school romance fEeEeEeEeLs i can't 😭😭😭  
> \- unbeta'd as per usual. you know the drill. 🤡  
> \- enjoy............ hopefully?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol, he is reminded of the sky with how angelic he is.

Byun Baekhyun has always been quite a confident person. With a natural charm like his that endeared most people, it’s hard not to be. His quick wit and sense of humor have made him quite the darling of the crowd wherever he went; poor self-esteem was definitely a non-issue. That being said, the Byun Baekhyun of today is the exact opposite of his usual self. Never had he imagined himself being so nervous to simply open a door. Granted, it was figuratively the door to his future as well. But seriously, why the hell was he sweating so much even before he went into his very first dance practice? Speaking of dance practice, Baekhyun flipped his phone open to read the text of his new handler, if only to control the anxious trembling of his hands by gripping the gadget hard to ground himself.

_Be there by 3PM. Don’t be late, especially on your first day. You want to make good impressions, right?_

And good impressions, he really did want to make, especially with the knowledge that his prospective bandmates already have presumably formed quite a strong bond in the past few years while he… He didn’t even want to think about how much of an outcast he would probably be — an altogether foreign feeling for Byun Baekhyun a.k.a. _the_ “campus cutie whose number girls pay for” of Bucheon Middle School. Shaking his head clear of his negative thoughts, Baekhyun’s eyes darted up to the top of the screen. It read **14:56.**

 _Well, four minutes early isn’t late after all._

Comforting himself with such flimsy reasoning and the fact that he couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer, Baekhyun heaved one last deep sigh for courage and finally pushed open the door to his… _future_.

And apparently, although he didn’t know it at the time, his _future_ came in the form of a tall handsome giant with impossibly long gangly limbs, a complete shiny set of pearly white teeth akin to those in the toothpaste commercials, huge shocked eyes, and even larger ears. Baekhyun gasped as he curled in pain, bringing a hand to his forehead where he collided with the stranger and was faced with possibly the longest pair of endearingly bow-legged legs he had ever seen.

It was the guy who bumped into him who recovered first and smiled a megawatt smile, as if the strong bump of Baekhyun’s forehead to his chin didn’t hurt him one bit. 

“Oh, hello! You must be Baekhyunee. I’ve been waiting so long to meet you.”

***

Head snapping up to the unexpectedly deep voice addressing him, Baekhyun saw an extremely handsome face looking down on him expectantly. The man’s chiseled visage reminded Baekhyun of those boy next door type heartthrobs in the movies who made all noonas swoon. Yes, movies, because Baekhyun never really did see any neighbor of his _that_ handsome. Now that he had the occasion to observe the other, he realized just how tall he was as he had to tilt his head all the way up to maintain eye contact. 

His eyes trailed down to the adonis-like pointed nose with a barely noticeable mole at the center, pouty lips that were pink in color, then to his defined eyebrows that perfectly framed his gorgeous almond eyes. And did Baekhyun say the man was tall tall which would probably be the attribute he was most envious of. 

_Damn, some people really do have it all,_ Baekhyun internally thought. If anybody claimed this man was an actual angel, Baekhyun would be much inclined to believe them. After all, he was wearing white against a backdrop of the sky…

Ah… The famous SM dance practice room. _Finally_ ... _Mom, I made it._

His internal monologue was cut short when large calloused hands ( _okay wait… why does everything about this man seem to be huge?_ ) fell atop his own, as if to check if the impact had caused some visible injury on his forehead. Baekhyun couldn’t help but flinch at the sudden contact, the hand that was on his forehead immediately falling to his chest as he felt a strong thump against his rib cage.

_Was that his heart?? But why???_

Still utterly shocked, Baekhyun wasn’t able to respond for what felt like eternity and just stared into the handsome giant’s—whose name he didn’t know yet, so handsome giant it is—eyes, said handsome giant’s smile morphing into a worried frown as Baekhyun continued to keep mum. 

In reality, that eternity was merely ten seconds and Baekhyun was just being his overdramatic self. It took Baekhyun those ten seconds to form a coherent reply, and it took those _exact same_ ten seconds for Baekhyun to realize that he was fucked. 

“Ah, y-yes! That’s me. Hi! I’m Byun Baekhyun, nineteen years old, from Bucheon. Sorry for bumping onto you, Mister...?”

“Chanyeol. Park Chanyeol, also nineteen years old. I’m from Gangnam, if you must know.”

“Yah! Park Chanyeol. Stop scaring the newbie, you silly oaf!”

It was only then that Baekhyun realized they had an audience. He averted his gaze towards the other corner of the room where more handsome men were idling in various states of interest, suddenly self-conscious with the knowledge that he was being watched. _Damn, SM’s standard._ Why does everybody have to be so good-looking? Then again, he supposes that is exactly a major point of being an idol, among others.

 _Up until yesterday I was just a normal person… a very noisy one, but a relatively ordinary human nonetheless,_ Baekhyun’s internal turmoil continued. And now that he was suddenly thrust onto unfamiliar territory, Baekhyun can feel a sense of foreboding slowly creeping up his body. But Mama Byun didn’t raise a weakling. And so, with a resolute nod to himself, he shrugged off the sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach and walked towards the new people in his life. The people he wants to be good friends with, not knowing that he will soon consider them as _family._

***

After the initial borderline awkward introductions, everything went smoothly. Baekhyun, after all, proved to be as much of the darling of the crowd that he truly was, so the members warmed up to him in no time. It was inevitable, to say the least. Baekhyun’s sense of humor was his weapon and he yielded it accordingly without remorse. 

Then again, just like any other group of friends, some were bound to be closer to one another than the rest. Baekhyun didn’t know if it was because he was technically the “first” member he met aside from Jongdae who he had seen at the auditions and had joined the company merely three days after him, but he found himself growing closer to Chanyeol with each passing day. Maybe it also helped that the giant had the personality of a cuddly bear, which is quite the opposite of Baekhyun’s initial impression because Chanyeol had a big… _everything._

_Looks can really be deceiving._

Chanyeol was literally an overzealous puppy willing to help in every which way, and his soft heart compelled Baekhyun to warm up to him in no time. The taller had obviously been very eager to make friends and sooner than later, they started going home after practice together when they learned they took the same subway line back.

But just like any other thing, not everything is always sunshine and rainbows. And so, along with the budding friendship between the two same-aged fellows came what in Baekhyun’s opinion was a... _conflict._

Said conflict being Baekhyun, after all the denial and rationalization he had been forcing himself into the past few months, finally acknowledging that he might have a _teensy tiny_ crush on his new found best friend. And boy, was that a **big** problem in Baekhyun’s mind.

For one, he knew Chanyeol was straight. The giant shared information as much as he’d ask, and it was with a slight ache in his chest that Baekhyun learned about Chanyeol’s ex-girlfriends. 

Granted, he said he wasn’t dating anyone at the moment. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s going to date Baekhyun, right? After all, with a face like that, it was only a matter of time. It was bound to happen and Baekhyun, for the life of him, wouldn’t know what to do with himself when that day comes.

“Baek? Baekhyunee? Ya!” 

Baekhyun jolted out of his stupor with a start, pulling the earbud out of his right ear to divert his attention to the user of the other end.

“Are you okay? I’ve been calling you for a while now. Do you not like this song?”

Baekhyun forced himself to smile and immediately responded to assure that nothing’s wrong with Chanyeol’s, in his humble opinion, perfect taste in music, _thank you very much._ In all it’s ironic glory, “Someone Like You” was somewhat the theme song of Baekhyun’s current life. If only there was another Chanyeol………..

Oh, speaking of Chanyeol.

“A-Ah, sorry Yeol. No, the song is fine. I was just thinking about my mistakes during the practice earlier. That hip thing after jumping really messed me up.”

The bright toothy grin he was rewarded with was well worth telling that white lie, Baekhyun surmised. Chanyeol’s personality was really pleasant in that he had a special way to make light of things, even with something as sensitive as his very own insecurities. 

Then again, when you’re _the_ Park Chanyeol, there really isn’t a lot to be insecure about, is there?

“Tell me about it! But you don’t get to sulk. You’re even better at it than me when you’ve been at the company for a total of two seconds, while here I am... Might as well be one of the clouds on that practice room’s wall with how long I’ve been trying and failing to perfect control of my iliac crest.”

“What a nerd.”

“What a meanie!” Chanyeol fake pouted and Baekhyun couldn’t help the inhuman sound he made as he all but barked in laughter, hand immediately clamping on his mouth when he saw the disapproving looks from the elders at the reserved section of the train car.

“The truth hurts I guess,” Baekhyun teased some more, if only to see the deep frown on Chanyeol’s forehead grow deeper. What!? Chanyeol looked _uber_ cute when he frowned. Sue him.

“Baekhyunee, you really do hurt my feelings.”

Chanyeol made a show of turning away from the shorter to express his upset and Baekhyun almost believed he truly was, if not for the subtle movement of his ears when he did so. Baekhyun had since learned that Chanyeol’s ears moved involuntary whenever he smiled. Still finding it a tad too endearing, he decided to play along.

“Oh, no! Our soft-hearted Chanyori is mad. What must I do to make amends?” Baekhyun smirked as soon as he said it, noticing that he totally broke through the other’s fake tantrum when the taller all but dropped his pretense and redirected his undivided attention back to him with his default megawatt smile that uncannily showed even his molars.

See? _Overzealous puppy._

“Yes! You can’t say no. As I was telling what apparently was the air since my companion wasn’t listening to me, I wanted you to take me _home_ with you.”

Baekhyun’s face might have been impassive when you look at him from outside, but he swears his brain short-circuited for a while there. It was a good thing he wasn’t drinking anything. Else, he might have aspirated by now and boy he was too young to die. He still had to become an idol, _dammit._ “W-What the hell are you saying!?”

Back was the kicked puppy look on the giant’s face and Baekhyun mentally berated himself as he realized how his sudden outburst must have sounded for someone as sensitive as Chanyeol.

“W-Why? Am I not welcome there? I—I just assumed you were fine with it because you didn’t say anything when I asked you, and we passed my station already so I thought you agreed. I’m sorry if it’s not allowed, I can just go down on the next stop and find my way ba—”

“N-No! That’s not what I meant. I was just…” Once again, Baekhyun was at a loss for words. Quite a rarity for someone as talkative as him. Then again, how do you explain to your best friend that you might be a _little_ gay for them and that you thought they asked you to take them _home_ in a more malicious, and totally non-platonic way. 

“So, I can go? I mean, it’s really okay if you don’t want to. It’s only been a couple stops. I can go back in no time.” 

Chanyeol’s words were earnest but the expectant look in his adorable almond eyes were testament enough of his true desires. 

Baekhyun didn’t stand a chance.

“Yes, Chanyori. You may go. I was just surprised that you would want to go to my suburb. There really aren’t any interesting places to go there, nothing much to see.”

“But _you’re_ there.”

“Wha—” Baekhyun spluttered. Seriously, just how many times does Chanyeol intend for Baekhyun to experience a quarter-life crisis today?

“I mean, you always boast about Bucheon and I really wanna see the place that molded the Byun Baekhyun that you are today…” Baekhyun was about to tear up, touched by Chanyeol’s kind words, when : “I just wanna see if the rest of the people there are normal, considering that you are… well, _special_.”

The way Chanyeol smirked as he quirked his eyebrows told Baekhyun that he didn’t mean special in a positive way, so he smacked the giant’s forehead in retaliation.

“Ow! Take a joke, will ya? Also, please say your grandma will be cooking those world famous sweet potatoes you’ve been raving about. They sure sound delicious.”

“You bet they are!” Baekhyun chirped as he quickly shot his beloved grandma a text that he’ll be dropping by later.

*** 

Like everything else, what was supposed to be a one time occurrence rarely ever is. Soon enough, Baekhyun found himself going home with Chanyeol in tow on a fortnightly basis. Their activities ranged from simple idling in Baekhyun’s room, jamming to new songs as Chanyeol plucked on his guitar, playing various online games at the nearby PC bang, raiding the closest CU for yummy snacks, going on food trips at popular local restaurants; it even reached a point where they hung out with Baekhyun’s childhood friends. 

The last was attributable to Baekhyun’s desire to prove to Chanyeol that yes, he had other friends too, and : “No, Chanyeol, Love Light friend is not imaginary! What are you even saying!?” 

Truth be told, Chanyeol’s presence seemed to be Baekhyun’s happiness these days and he learned not to question the progress even if he had a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that they were running on borrowed time. Baekhyun had long since learned to accept what was given freely. _Don’t say no to blessings, right?_

Even when Chanyeol’s insistence to go with him didn’t make much sense, because why won’t he just rest after suffering through those long hours of tedious practice and choose to punish himself? What with Chanyeol’s two-hour long journey from Seoul to Bucheon to and fro, not to mention that Seoul definitely had a wider array of food trip “hot places”. 

Also, didn’t Chanyeol’s mom wonder why her son went home late every other Friday? If there’s one thing Baekhyun didn’t want, it would be for Mama Park to think that he was a bad influence to her son. For what reason, he didn’t know. 

Maybe it was because the two times he had gone with Chanyeol to his house, he felt oddly like the undeserving party in their friendship, not to mention a little insecure. He already had an inkling that Chanyeol was somewhat rich, judging by the relatively expensive brands he wore like that one purple Supreme hoodie, the price tag of which was probably equivalent to all of Baekhyun’s shoes, but he didn’t know they were loaded. 

Their Gangnam home, as with everything Chanyeol, was huge. And no matter how much Chanyeol raved about how phenomenal Grandma Byun’s sweet potatoes are, Baekhyun had always found that Mama Park’s kimchi arrabiata was better by a mile. 

Just like Baekhyun, a potato could only do so much. 

Maybe that’s simply it, nothing more than a silly teenage insecurity Baekhyun would find himself laughing at a decade from now. But if Baekhyun were to be completely honest with himself once and for all, he knew he just didn’t want to disappoint the mother-in-law he wished to have—but _never_ will.

By the end of three months with the same routine, Chanyeol was basically a local. Then again, Baekhyun should have known that nothing ever really comes without a price. Together with the deepening bond is the corresponding deepening of Baekhyun’s illicit feelings for Chanyeol. 

The latter’s inner turmoil was escalating by the day and soon enough, he became overwhelmed with how he can’t help but… _fall_ . To be fair, who wouldn’t fall for an angel such as Chanyeol? Chanyeol was everything he wanted and _more_. At the rate things were going, Chanyeol’s handsome face was just a bonus, really. 

He was kind, caring, compassionate, generous, passionate, intelligent, talented, and on top of all that, rich too? Rich to the point that Baekhyun sometimes found himself fantasizing about quitting his trainee life in lieu of becoming Chanyeol’s sugar baby-slash-househusband whenever things got too hard and he just can’t help but break down in the training room. It just got so overwhelming at times. He had had so much catching up to do because he started late. 

Even his fantasies dishearten him because even in that aspect, he can never win against Chanyeol because the taller was definitely the better cook between them. _Seriously, what can he not do?_ Chanyeol’s perfection is the source of both Baekhyun’s joy and agony. He can’t even make a single poached egg without wreaking havoc in the kitchen.

So, he chooses to dwell on the positives such as Chanyeol’s handsome face. He seriously cannot reiterate further how handsome Chanyeol is, even more so when he glances up to him as he is immersed in his passion that is music—Baekhyun looking up at the taller’s face as much as he subtly can as they each shared an earbud on their several journeys home that Baekhyun had quite grown to cherish.

Again, who wouldn’t fall for the angel incarnate that is Park Chanyeol? 

Baekhyun did say he was just human, after all. And wasn’t it but a human frailty to _want_ for things… people… they can’t have?

Well, one thing is for sure : human Byun Baekhyun, nineteen years old, from Bucheon, was falling in love for the first time... and he was falling _hard_.


	2. Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There has always been this tingly feeling Baekhyun had started to experience ever since that ten-second eye contact he had with Chanyeol the moment they first met. Was this what they called a... spark?

Not that there's anything wrong with falling in love at all. In fact, it is one of the most liberating experiences anyone could ever have. Baekhyun is a firm believer that brave is a man who loves; even braver is the one who loves without expecting anything in return. 

Still, he couldn’t help but think how it would be much better if someone was there to catch him when he falls. No matter how you sugarcoat it, jumping into an abyss was way too scary even for the bravest of hearts. 

Chanyeol may be all sorts of kind and helpful and willing, but Baekhyun thinks this is  _ the _ one thing he can never help him with.

That being said, Baekhyun had to help himself, if only for the sake of what little self-preservation he had left buried in the deepest recesses of his mind. 

He knew he had to choose himself because Chanyeol surely wasn’t going to. 

So one day, as he stared longingly at Chanyeol’s retreating back — a sight he should start getting used to from now on — as he walked him to the station after another one of their LoL campaigns, Baekhyun willed himself to let Chanyeol go. 

As to how, he did not know yet, but what he knew was that it was high time that he did. Their debut was fast approaching and Baekhyun cannot afford any more distractions at this point, much less not any more emotional problems. 

He had to keep his eyes on the prize, even with the knowledge that perfect and angelic Chanyeol  _ could have  _ been the ultimate prize of them all.

***

Avoiding Chanyeol was like avoiding the plague in the 1700s, except in reverse because Chanyeol was a sweetheart in all sense of the word : sweet and kind and handsome and generous and — all the things one wouldn’t normally avoid. 

Above all, unlike the plague, if Baekhyun were to be truly honest with himself, he wouldn’t really want to avoid Chanyeol if only he had a choice. Quite the  _ opposite _ , actually.

It does prove to be a feat, however, since Chanyeol practically followed him everywhere — blissfully unaware of Baekhyun’s resolve to distance himself from the latter. 

Still, Baekhyun was resolute and he powered through, even though he felt his heart crack a little whenever he saw the dejected pout on the giant’s face for every “no” he received from Baekhyun.

By the sixth time Baekhyun refused to let Chanyeol tag along with him on his way home with a myriad of made up excuses ranging from not feeling well to having no time to entertain him since he had to go to Love Light friend’s dog’s birthday party because : “Yes Chanyeol, it’s tradition, we do it every year”, the giant probably  _ finally _ got the hint and stopped asking. 

Also, he didn’t know if he was imagining things but even a few of the members, the ones closest to Chanyeol, had started to treat him colder than usual. Then again, Baekhyun couldn’t afford to dwell on it at a time as crucial as the week before their debut. 

Instead, he focused all his efforts into learning and relearning and polishing the choreography to the point that he could perform their debut song in his sleep. 

If any, it provided Baekhyun with a much needed distraction as he tried to move on from the loss of someone that was never his to begin with. 

***

The debut showcase was a success. Never in his wildest dreams did Baekhyun think that one day he’d be standing in front of an audience doing what he loved most — singing. Gone were the days of imaginings. 

It felt just like yesterday that he had to rent out small time studios offering cheap hourly rates with his friends so they could record their high school band’s EP just for kicks. He had always loved singing, but for the most part, he did it then for fun.

But now, he finally got the profession of his dreams? _Surreal._

As he clapped his hands and shouted one last closing thank you to the fans who came out to support them, Baekhyun felt a warm sense of relief wash upon his shoulders. True, it may just be the beginning, but he knew they were off to a good start.  _ All is well. _

***

But Baekhyun might have spoken too soon. 

As the adrenaline from the hour-long showcase finally ebbed away, Baekhyun felt himself getting tired, and unsurprisingly so. They have gotten by with quick instant meals squeezed in between their hectic training schedule, photoshoots, album recordings, and had to make do with barely even three hours of sleep the month leading up to their debut.

It was only then that it sunk in. Baekhyun was finally an idol. His dream had come true.

Except that, his  _ real _ dream jolted him out of his reveries with a pat on the head and an offer of a much needed cold bottle of water. 

Baekhyun, too elated to remember that he was avoiding Chanyeol, all but jumped into the latter’s embrace, shocking not only himself but more so the recipient of the unexpected hug. 

The way the taller stiffened in Baekhyun’s hold alerted him, warning sirens blaring in his head because  _ what the fuck did he just do? _ Wasn’t he supposed to distance himself from Chanyeol? Then why the hell is he clinging onto him for dear life akin to a lover meeting his long lost better half at the airport after spending years apart?

“Ehem.” A sudden cough broke them apart, as if electrocuted by the touch of each other’s skin. 

And perhaps, in a way, there really was a spark that oddly reminded Baekhyun of the feeling he got the first time he met Chanyeol. In fact, the current was probably too much to handle that Baekhyun felt like an animal caught in a trap and had to get himself out.

His  _ out _ being in the form of the only other person in close proximity — their beloved maknae who was just as shocked when Baekhyun all but jumped into his arms as well. If Sehun noticed the sudden scrunch of Chanyeol’s forehead, he didn’t pay it any heed.

Baekhyun’s hugs were always welcome, after all. Still, this one came out of nowhere. Shrugging it off as one of the 101 silly quirks Byun Baekhyun had right after wanting to shower together, he awkwardly patted the elder’s back and returned the gesture.

It was also Sehun who interrupted the awkward silence that followed as he immediately released Baekhyun from his hold as soon as he felt that Chanyeol’s aura had shifted. 

Smirking to himself, he decided to push his luck some more. “Let’s go lovebirds! Your canoodling can wait for when we get back at the dorms. I’m starving and I haven’t eaten a meal that didn’t come out of a styro cup in a month. Chop chop!”

Sehun stalked off then, presumably to notify the others of the same, blissfully unaware of the havoc he left in his wake and not noticing the simultaneous blushes that crept up both Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s cheeks.

“Baekhyunee, let’s go?”

“Uh… Yes. Let... us go.” 

Baekhyun wanted the ground to swallow him whole at how awkward he sounded. How could he let himself slip? It was probably just the serotonin.  _ Yes, that’s it.  _ He nodded to himself, fanning his face with his hands as he went to follow Chanyeol to the van. 

_Why the hell was it suddenly so hot, anyways?_

Noticing his discomfort, Chanyeol, ever the gentleman, merely handed him a handkerchief out of his pocket with a soft smile that sent another one of those tiny currents through Baekhyun’s chest, not unlike the one earlier when they hugged.

_ Just what did he get himself into??? _

***

The succeeding weeks remained as busy as ever, if not more. Now that they’ve officially debuted, they had more schedules than ever. They were shuttled from venue to venue and they got by through stealing naps in between events. 

Days blurred into weeks and soon enough, without him noticing; Byun Baekhyun, nineteen years old from Bucheon had become Byun Baekhyun, twenty years old from Bucheon.

Not having time to properly celebrate aside from a thirty-minute impromptu get together at the dorm by midnight as the members greeted him with a simple cake, it was only about a couple of weeks after that Baekhyun finally had the chance to hold a party. 

It wasn’t really his idea per se. It was Mama Byun who called at 7AM sharp the week prior and insisted on it, guilting Baekhyun with how he really hadn’t been home for a couple of months now. Vulnerable to his Mom’s  _ aegyo _ — Baekhyun, after all, took after the best — he conceded.

The only problem was that his mom insisted that he brings all his members home, and not without a side comment of : "I wanna meet your other members aside from that tall and handsome boyfriend of yours."

Baekhyun was cornered and had no choice to agree while blushing profusely, muttering "He's not my boyfriend"sulkily under his breath before ending the call in a hurry, afraid that someone might have heard his mom on loudspeaker.

Knowing her, she just wants to brag about her idol son and the group to his relatives, but can you blame her? She was just a proud mom, is all. 

Nevertheless, Baekhyun saw no other way around it. Yes, he was trying his best to move on from Chanyeol, but it would be weird and oddly suspicious if he were to invite all the members except him. Not to mention, how devastated would Chanyeol feel if he left him out? Sure, he wanted to distance himself from the giant, but Baekhyun was not  _ that  _ cruel.

***

Baekhyun wished he had just let his logic win and not invite Chanyeol. His conscience would have been easier to bear than the embarrassment he felt at the moment as he palmed his scarlet face to hide from the cheers and jeers from the crowd. Who even told Chanyeol it was a good idea to volunteer to go up the makeshift stage at the back of the Byun household where his party was held to sing him a “birthday” song. 

But is “Creep” even a birthday song? Seriously Park Chanyeol,  _ what the fuck were you thinking? _

His face was as red as a tomato, features crumpled into a frown as he was subjected to ultimate torture and disgrace. If only Kai’s teleportation power concept was real, it would have been a good birthday gift just about now to disappear himself to the actual EXO Planet if possible. 

What did he even do to deserve this torture? Perhaps, he was a tyrant in his past life? Who knows? The only thing Baekhyun was certain of is that he didn't deserve any of this humiliation, especially not during his birthday party. He just wanted to curl up and cry.

The same cannot be said about the other members though; they seem to be having the time of their lives teasing Baekhyun and none-too-subtly shoving him towards the stage. The members tickled his sides, wiggled their eyebrows at him, and even accompanied it with exaggerated shrilly taunts ( _ jeez Jongdae, you don’t need to do that just so people know you’re the main vocal, trust me they can tell tyvm _ ). 

Such ruckus caused by the collective efforts of ten raucous men who were just boys at heart effectively gained the attention of his other relatives. Even Papa Byun who took card games seriously to a fault, brought down the cards he was holding as he played Black Jack with his other uncles and craned his neck to see what the commotion was all about. 

And the icing on top of Baekhyun’s metaphorical birthday cake was that even worse, his very own mother, the woman who brought him into this world joined the others in ganging up on him. Her boisterous laughter which was the endearing female version of Baekhyun’s own threatened to rival Jongdae’s ~~high notes~~ grating shrieks. Wasn't she the one person who’s supposed to be on his side no matter what? An utter betrayal!

_ Damn. _ He really shouldn’t have shrugged off that ominous feeling upon seeing Chanyeol’s guitar case hanging on its permanent perch on the giant’s shoulder when he picked them up at the station earlier. 

He already had an idea that he would somewhat be at the center of attention today. It’s his birthday party after all. But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that it would be like this. 

Who would even think that he would receive a special serenade from the man who owned his heart in front of his family and friends? Is this a dream? Because it surely felt like it. 

And then Chanyeol’s voice wafted through the speakers and everything just became more surreal than it already was. Baekhyun was compelled to lift his head from his hands, as if the angelic voice hypnotized him into submitting to its gentle lull. Still too embarrassed to look at what he sure was Chanyeol’s equally angelic face, he focused on the way he expertly strummed the frets of his instrument with the beginnings of a sweet melody.

_ “When you were here before _

_ Couldn't look you in the eye…” _

As if in a trance, the words finally made Baekhyun look up, not entirely surprised that Chanyeol had been staring already. This time, he mustered the courage to maintain eye contact, the uncouth gibes blurring into background noise as all his attention was drawn to no one else but the giant who continued to caress the strings effortlessly in concert with his soothingly deep timbre.

_ "You're just like an angel _

_ Your skin makes me cry...” _

Goosebumps erupted on Baekhyun’s nape. _Why does it seem as if Chanyeol is singing to him and him alone?_

_ Of course he’s singing to you, you idiot. The program emcee did ask for a volunteer willing to sing you a birthday song, didn’t he?  _ Baekhyun mentally berated himself.

_ But then again, “Creep” isn’t even a fucking birthday song. Just you wait Park Chanyeol! I will have your head for this later. _

_ “You float like a feather _

_ In a beautiful world _

_ I wish I was special _

_ You're so fuckin' special.” _

Baekhyun wanted to argue, to say that no, Chanyeol was the special one. But then the giant looked so sincere, the soft smile that subtly revealed his lone endearing dimple making Baekhyun feel just a tad weak in the knees. 

Surely, there was nothing wrong with his eyesight. He can see how exquisitely handsome Chanyeol looked in his element, as he always does. But there is definitely something amiss in his auditory senses, right? Perhaps he’s imagining things, hearing what he wants to hear. 

Because why the hell did Chanyeol sound like he meant every word?

Baekhyun wouldn’t be surprised if this was all a dream. Yep, that’s the only logical explanation in Baekhyun’s mind. After all, it’s only in his dreams that he allows himself to look at Chanyeol freely these days. 

Try as he might to suppress his emotions during the day, the control is out of his hands as soon as he allows his subconscious to emerge upon closing his eyes at night. 

In those dreams, Baekhyun allows himself to let go of the weight that burdened his chest with every act of avoidance, every "no" he replies to Chanyeol’s requests, every denial of the fact that he’d actually rather spend his every breathing moment by Chanyeol’s side because his presence is the oxygen that gives life to his otherwise lackluster days.

_ “ _ _ But I'm a creep... _

_ I'm a weirdo...” _

Baekhyun badly wanted to object.  _ No! You’re not. You’re perfect. I’m the weirdo. I’m the one who couldn’t help but develop romantic feelings for my best friend who’s straight. I’m the creep.  _

Baekhyun cringed at his internal musings, tiny pinpricks overpowering the warmth that Chanyeol's voice had enveloped his heart with. His chest hurts at the thought of Chanyeol ever thinking that he’s a creep. He had long since accepted that they will never be. A romantic relationship between the two of them was just out of the question. 

This is precisely why he chose to keep his feelings to himself, to move on in silence and salvage the friendship he valued so dearly. It doesn’t matter if the process hurts as long as he can stay by Chanyeol’s side as a friend for years… decades to come. 

But for Chanyeol to even think he’s a creep? If Chanyeol discovered the one-sided feelings Baekhyun harbored for him and decided that Baekhyun disgusted him? Baekhyun grimaced at the mere unwarranted thought because how did his mind even go there even when Chanyeol continued to hold his gaze, looking at him as if he were the only person in the room? He really did like to hurt himself, didn’t he?

_ “What the hell am I doing here? _

_ I don't belong here _

_ I don't belong here…” _

And just like that, the bubble ensconcing them burst with the roaring applause from their surroundings. As if an invisible wall around them collapsed, both suddenly aware that they weren’t the only people in the room. It was then that Baekhyun realized it wasn’t a dream after all. The erratic beating of his heart against his ribcage was far too palpable for it to be felt in a dream state. And as he once again glanced at his favorite face in the world, the echoes of his last verse kept resounding in Baekhyun’s mind.

_ “I don’t belong here.” _

Right. Of course. Chanyeol didn’t belong to him. 

He may have deluded himself into believing otherwise for the two-minute duration of that song, but this is not a dream. The way he felt his heart get broken into smithereens as he spiraled down from the temporary high he indulged in was the bitter vengeance, the price to pay for his momentary happiness. Hot tears threatened to erupt from his orbs at the realization. This is not a dream; this is Baekhyun’s painful reality.

Oblivious to the brewing storm within the celebrant’s body, the host bolted up to the stage in a jiffy to conduct an on-the-spot interview while being hyped up by the crowd.

“Wowowow! Truly, EXO is the best! No wonder you talented boys are the Nation’s Pick! Chanyeol-sshi, if I may ask, what made you choose that song for our beloved Baekhyunee today? Is there a special reason?”

“Well, I actually thought how appro—”

Baekhyun was by no means an athletic person, never had been. But for someone who just had a massive emotional breakdown albeit internally, he sure did run fast.

Baekhyun panted as he all but grabbed the microphone from Chanyeol’s hand, a little too distracted by his sense of urgency to avoid further humiliation that he did not notice the wire of said microphone on his way up, and fabulously tripped. 

Bracing himself for the impact, Baekhyun closed his eyes as his overdramatic brain thought what a pity it was to die young,and ironically, at his twentieth birthday party no less.

His irrational fears were, however, for naught as he felt strong sturdy arms encircle his waist at the last possible second of falling, drawing him closer to an even sturdier chest.

The fast escalation of things overwhelmed all the attendees, even more so the celebrant himself. Pin drop silence ensued as everybody waited with bated breath to see if Baekhyun was alright. The celebrant in question slowly opened his eyes and he was surprised to be looking up to Chanyeol’s eyes that were as wide as saucers in fright and worry. 

The proximity suffocated him as he realized how close his forehead was to bumping on Chanyeol’s mouth even with the presence of the wooden body of the guitar between them. 

This new found realization made him jolt away, although not as far as he would have hoped since Chanyeol maintained a loose hold on the small of his back. The sudden movement prompted a string of Chanyeol’s guitar to make a ghastly snapping sound. 

Since it was still connected to the amplifier, it was heard all over the venue. The people seemed to take it as the signal that Baekhyun was alright and resumed all prior cheering, the youngins at the front both sporting beet red faces at the newly renewed attention. 

The members’ teasing were even louder than before. Papa Byun had completely abandoned his card game in favor of watching the scene unfold while whispering things Baekhyun would rather not know to Mama Byun beside him. Even Baekbeom who had seemed disinterested earlier and had kept entertaining his own set of guests was standing curiously by his seat, an amused grin on his face.

It was all too much pressure so Baekhyun quickly disentangled himself from Chanyeol completely and barked the first word that came into his mind in his distressed state onto the microphone that was still in his hand. “English!”

“Excuse me?”

“English……. I mean, Chanyeol-sshi here is practicing his English. Y-Yes. That’s why he chose that song. Because our company wants EXO to succeed not only in Korea, but in the whole world as well. So yes, we are encouraged to learn foreign languages too... This one’s been in the works for a long time. Chanyeol intends to perform it in a showcase abroad next month. This is just practice, no other special reason. In fact, he’s also practicing that Japanese song by _hide sunbaenim_ … that… that…”

“Rocket Dive,” came Chanyeol’s curt, and if Baekhyun listened carefully enough, somewhat cold answer. 

“Oh? hide? Spread Beaver? I loved that song! You seem to be a bit too young to know that though?” The emcee, oblivious to the building tension between the two, ranted on. “That would have been a more cheerful song appropriate for a birthday. Don’t you think, Chanyeol- _sshi_?”

“Ah, yes. I—I’m sorry.” Back was the dejected look on Chanyeol’s face—the look that seemed to be a permanent fixture on his visage these days whenever Baekhyun was involved. Baekhyun’s chest clenched once more at the thought of hurting the giant’s soft heart. 

_Just why did his own stubborn one choose to love his best friend of all people?_

“Well. No worries, Chanyeol- _sshi_. Either way, I think every body would agree that they enjoyed that song. After all, it’s not everyday that a world class star performs in our midst. For free at that!” The host continued on and the taller all but nodded with what looked like a forced smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes as he put down his guitar and moved to make his way back to his seat.

“Anyway, who’s next? Anyone who wants to challenge Chanyeol-sshi’s performance? A happy song this time?”

Baekhyun couldn’t even hear the rest of the succeeding words, barely taking note that a distant cousin of his had bound up the stage excitedly and placed a sloppy wet kiss on his cheek before singing “My Boo” on the top of her lungs. 

Baekhyun chanced another glance at Chanyeol’s direction, immediately folding into himself as the latter all but diverted his gaze away as soon as their eyes met. As if he wasn’t staring into Baekhyun’s soul just minutes ago.

_Right, because he wasn’t. It was all in your head, stupid. Chanyeol doesn’t like you like that._

Baekhyun felt numb after that. Once again, his wishful thinking had gotten the best of him. And now, the corresponding crash to his momentary high is harsher than ever, dousing his being with a sudden chill that penetrated deep into his bones.

Apparently, he was a year older but none the wiser. 

_ Byun Baekhyun, when will you ever learn? _

***

The rest of the party went by in a breeze. That, or Baekhyun was far too distracted with his inner storm that he failed to register the happenings for the rest of the evening. Sooner than later, it was time to wrap up. The trains' last trip was scheduled for eleven o’clock and Baekhyun found himself running on autopilot as he walked his members back to the station fifteen minutes before the time so that they can get back to Seoul by midnight.

As for him, they had the rest of the weekend to themselves as a reward for the successful debut. This is precisely why Baekhyun had the opportunity to celebrate his birthday. That being so, he decided to spend his first week off idol life at home. 

His mother wasn’t purely acting when she was sulking that he hadn’t been home for too long. Also deep _deep_ down, Baekhyun knew he could use this much needed break to clear his head. 

Away from work, away from his responsibilities as a rookie idol… and most importantly, away from the man who obliviously wreaked havoc in his heart and rendered his mind in complete disarray. Away from… Chanyeol.

Out of sight, out of mind... right?

He was just absentmindedly following the group, only to yelp as he bumped onto the back of the person in front of him who stopped abruptly. Baekhyun was about to raise hands because WHY, only to swallow his words when he saw that it was Chanyeol. 

Of fucking course. He just couldn't catch a fucking break today, could he?

In place of the permanent grin on Chanyeol’s face was a pensive look. Baekhyun, try as he might to deny, knew Chanyeol like the back of his hand. This was Chanyeol’s “contemplative face”, as if trying to decide if he should proceed with what he was about to say, seeing that his sudden action irked Baekhyun.

The rest of the party took note of the sudden stop and redirected all their attention back at the two to the back. Just how many times will he be subjected to the hot seat today? And with Chanyeol no less. 

Exasperated at the series of unfortunate events, he merely gestured for Chanyeol to hurry up with what he was going to say.

“I—I left Bee.”

“What?”

“I left it on stage… Earlier. When… Y’know.” 

There goes Baekhyun’s Eureka moment. 

Ah yes, Chanyeol’s beloved acoustic guitar that he named after that yellow car-cum-autobot from those robot movies Chanyeol loved so much. He vaguely recalled seeing the wooden contraption by his side earlier at the stage, but his brain wasn’t properly functioning then.

“Oh. Y-Yes. I’ll try to call Baekbeom- _hyung_ and have him run here with it,” Baekhyun remarked, hand already halfway through flipping his phone open to contact his brother.

“N-No! I’ll come get it back myself… if that’s okay?” Chanyeol responded timidly.

“You sure?” Baekhyun brought his wrist up to look at his watch. “It’s already 10:50. You might miss the train.”

“Yes, it’s fine. Your house is a five-minute walk at best. Unlike you, I have long legs. I'll manage. I’ll get it myself. It would be shameful to ask your _hyung_.”

Baekhyun was forced to let Chanyeol's jab at his height pass because of the time constraints. “I’m sure he doesn’t mi—”   
  
“Baekhyunee,  _ please. _ ” 

At a loss with the sudden hint of desperation in Chanyeol’s tone, Baekhyun signaled for the others to go ahead and nodded curtly at the giant’s hopeful face.

“Okay, fine. Let’s go.”


	3. Serendipity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baekhyun met Chanyeol by a fortunate stroke of serendipity, but is it enough to make him stay?

Last time Baekhyun checked, Chanyeol definitely had the bigger strides among the two of them, but it seems that such was not the case tonight. That, or Chanyeol was purposefully slowing down. For what reason, he did not know. Weren’t they supposed to hurry so that Chanyeol could catch the last train home? Baekhyun was starting to get the feeling that something was off. He slowed down a little and turned a questioning gaze back at the giant — about to ask him to speed up when Chanyeol stopped altogether and broke the silence.

“Is something bothering you?”

Although a little surprised by the question which came out of the blue, Baekhyun’s exasperation got the best of him and he beckoned Chanyeol with a little tilt of his head towards the direction of his house. “Huh? Chanyeol, what are you saying? We only have ten minu —”

“I mean, do I bother you?”

Now, that got Baekhyun to finally stop himself, the meek tone in which Chanyeol said it tugging at his heartstrings.

“What? N-No. What made you think that?”

“Really, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol gave him a knowing look and the dejected pout on his face reminded Baekhyun of a sad golden retriever puppy. It was endearing and heart wrenching at the same time.

“I don’t know what you’re saying. Come on, it’s almost eleven.”

“So I am a bother to you.”

“I already said you’re not, why are you —”

“You say that, but see? You’re in such a hurry to get rid of me.”

“But that’s only because you have to catch the train, which I doubt you will if you keep this up.”

“I don’t care if I don’t. Just answer me truthfully.”

“How are you even gonna get home?”

“I’ll take a cab.” Take a cab from Bucheon to Seoul? A whole ass solid one and a half hours drive? Wow, it really is a different world that rich people moved in. The indignance must have shown on Baekhyun’s face, Chanyeol knowing him too well that he immediately followed up with : ”Or I’ll just sleep at the station until the first train tomorrow arrives.”

Now that’s even more outrageous than his first idea. “Are you crazy!?”

“Not yet, but what’s making me crazy is all this cold treatment from you, Baek. If I did something wrong, I need to know.”

“No. That’s not it!”

“So you admit it. There is something. Baekhyunee, please tell me.”

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Baekhyun was at a loss as he was faced with Chanyeol’s imploring face. He jerked with a start when his watch beeped, signalling the change of the hour. Well, there goes Chanyeol’s ride home.

By this point, Chanyeol had given up all pretense of wanting to get home, merely waiting on Baekhyun’s response like a petulant child denied of candy.

Baekhyun was once again at a loss for words. How the hell was he going to talk his way out of this, and more importantly, how will he explain to his best friend that he liked him in a non-platonic way and expect that not to affect said best friendship whatsoever? Organizing his thoughts was just an impossible feat at the moment and it was Chanyeol who started the conversation once again.

“Is it because of your girlfriend? Is she mad?”

“What girlfriend!?”

“The girl who kissed you earlier on stage.”

This time around, Baekhyun couldn’t help but facepalm. Indeed it is true how the lack of communication brought about so many misunderstandings. Baekhyun could only cringe at the thought Chanyeol brought up. 

Finally seeing that the talk was inevitable now, especially that Chanyeol got left by the train already, he only motioned for Chanyeol to follow him. This time around, the remaining couple of minutes walk home went by without a hitch, albeit eerily silent and a sense of foreboding for the surely unfortunate outcome washed over the two.

Once they crossed the threshold of the Byun household, they were welcomed with the unwanted gazes from Baekbeom’s group of friends who were drinking in an adult version of an afterparty in the living room. 

Baekhyun could only gulp at the attention, thankful that his brother took the initiative to interact normally, thereby prompting his friends to go about their business and shrug off the sudden presence. Byun Baekhyun may be a celebrity now, but he will always be their friend’s snotty little brother to them. He didn’t know if he should be offended or relieved.

“You guys are back?”

“Chanyeol left his guitar.”

“Yeah, the clean up crew found it and I brought it up to your room. I thought you’d just bring it with you when you go back to the dorms. Isn’t the last train at 11? Oh well, I guess belated birthday sex is still a thing or whatever.”

Baekhyun felt all his blood creep into his face, indignant. “ _ Hyung _ ! We’re not… We’ll head up to my room and just watch movies to pass the time or something.”

“Is that how you kids call it these days?"

Baekhyun didn’t even feel like justifying his silly brother’s teasing with an answer. Hejust stomped up the stairs in a mix of annoyance and embarrassment, Chanyeol in tow. The implication behind his brother’s words gave him a temporary distraction, but the fleeting moment soon ended as he entered the door of his room and rounded on Chanyeol, the door shutting behind the latter with a soft thud.

Chanyeol’s guitar was propped innocently on the wall, both not even having the mind to acknowledge it and pretend it was the reason they were here. It was as flimsy as excuses can get, and now that they’re here, they finally had the chance to discuss the elephant in the room.

This is it, there’s no going back. In a matter of minutes, Baekhyun will have lost his best friend. With a sigh, he plopped down on the bed, his legs folded under him. He gestured for his visitor to come over and Chanyeol cautiously sat at the edge of his bed, picking up a stray pillow and putting it on his lap. Judging by the fidgeting of his large hands on the hem of the pillowcase, Chanyeol seemed to be just as nervous as he was. For what reason, Baekhyun didn’t know. 

_ I guess there’s only one way to find out.  _ “Jieunnie…”

“Is that her name? Is she mad? Did you fight because of me? I’m so so —”

“Stop bombarding me with this nonsense! One by one! Let me finish first.”

“S-Sorry. I just… I don’t want to be the cause you break up.”

“Jeez, seriously. Will you let me talk first? You have it all wrong!”

Baekhyun’s little outburst finally prompted Chanyeol to keep his mouth shut, hugging the pillow onto his chest as he nodded for Baekhyun to continue.

“She’s my cousin. I don’t know what ever gave you the idea that I’m dating her, but I would break up familial ties with that knucklehead if I could! Sadly, you can’t divorce cousins. I can still feel the bump on my head from when she smacked me with a broom when we were kids you know!”

He didn’t know if he was imagining things, but Chanyeol’s posture seemed considerably more relaxed after that. He even looked kind of… relieved? Nevertheless, the giant sensed he had a lot more to say and merely nodded to signify that he understood and that Baekhyun could go on. What do you know? Chanyeol knows how to listen after all. But the fact that Chanyeol’s all ears, pun intended, right now was making Baekhyun nervous. He’s starting to get cold feet all of a sudden.

“Now that that’s out of the way, can we sleep now? The first train is at 5 AM tomorrow. Gotta wake up early to catch that, right?” Baekhyun tries with a dry chuckle, hoping against hope that Chanyeol buys into his charade.

Color him surprised when Chanyeol all but abruptly stood up as if electrocuted, pillow falling to the floor as he quickly strode to the corner of the room to retrieve his guitar, hoisting it on his shoulder in a jiffy.

The fast turn of events gave Baekhyun a whiplash. He merely wanted to appease Chanyeol’s mind without shedding light onto his forbidden feelings. Chanyeol did not need to know.

But at the sight of Chanyeol’s hastily retreating back, Baekhyun’s mind went on autopilot. It seems his trauma at seeing the giant walk away from him had finally made him snap, his body automatically moving on its own to stop him from walking away with a grip on his wrist.

“Chanyeol, wait! Where are you going?”

A deep sigh. Chanyeol didn’t even turn back to face him. And if Baekhyun thought his already broken heart couldn't get even more shattered, Chanyeol’s cold voice did the trick. “I’ll be going now. Figured I’d do you a favor since you’re in such a hurry to get rid of me.”

“What? Chanyeol, no! I wasn’t—” Baekhyun was at his wit’s end. How could Chanyeol have gotten this all backwards? How can he make Chanyeol understand that keeping him by his side was actually Baekhyun’s greatest, albeit unattainable wish?

“Then what!? You say one thing, but you do the opposite. Just say you hate me already so we could get over this!” Chanyeol bellowed, having reached his boiling point. 

The giant never raised his voice at him, and Baekhyun never thought he would. This was a side of Chanyeol more befitting of the first impression he had of him. This was not the sweet cuddly Chanyeol Baekhyun knew. He was shaken to say the least, yet he knew there was no one else to blame but himself. If you think about it, Chanyeol even dealt with the situation with as much patience as he could, but even the sweetest guy could only handle so much. Heck, if Baekhyun were to put himself in Chanyeol’s shoes, he was sure he would’ve asked for a confrontation on the second week of being ignored. 

Even so, he still had qualms about telling Chanyeol the real reason behind his actions, if only to indulge the tiny sliver of hope at the back of his mind that he could still salvage their friendship. But as he looked at Chanyeol’s furious face, Baekhyun realized there may not be anything to salvage anymore at this point. All he could do was gape like a fish, a million words wanting to burst out of his mouth, yet not a single one uttered.

“So what? I don’t even deserve an explanation? Just be honest with me. I thought we’re friends.”  All fight seemed to have gone out of Chanyeol, his huge body sagging in on itself and making him look small as opposed to the formidable imposing figure he had just a minute ago.

_ Friends… _

_ Friends… _

_ Friends… _

But the word kept ringing in Baekhyun’s head, triggering in him an entirely opposite reaction from its effect on Chanyeol.

“Exactly! We’re friends! We. Are. Just. Friends! I am doing this to save our friendship.”

“How is ignoring me advantageous to our friendship!?”

“God, don’t you see? I needed to do this. I needed to distance myself from you so that—”

“That doesn’t even make any sense!”

“Seriously, I love you to hell but would you please just for once, shut the fuck up and let me finish?!?”

“Y-You love me!?”

“I—I” 

_ God fucking damn it.  _ It’s not that Baekhyun ever planned to confess to Chanyeol, but if he did, it most certainly wasn’t the plan to do it that way. Seeing no other way around it since the earth never did listen to him and just swallow him in his most embarrassing moments, Baekhyun decided to settle with the truth. “I… do.”

Back were the million questions on Chanyeol’s face and this time, he didn’t bother to wait for Baekhyun to let him ask them. All his focus redirected to the smaller, tone cautious as if afraid to alienate him even further with his prying. “Do you like, love me as a friend or…?”

“As something… more. I know you would totally hate me for this, but since we’re on the subject of honesty, might as well say it.”

“I—Wow. I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. Let’s just go to bed.”

“Seriously?You’re just gonna take me to bed without even buying me dinner first? Do you think I’m that easy?”

“Jesus, fuck! I didn’t mean it like that! Just sleep already and catch the earliest train tomorrow. Pretend this didn’t happen in the morning so we could move on with our lives.”

“Wow Mister Byun, you’re treating this like a one night stand when you haven’t even let me taste that pretty lips of yours yet.”

Of all reactions Baekhyun expected Chanyeol to have, this was definitely not it. Shock, disgust, anger. Those, Baekhyun was prepared for. But this… Is Chanyeol flirting with him? 

_ Nah, that can’t be true.  _

Perhaps, Chanyeol is making it into a joke to lighten up the mood. For some reason, that hurt Baekhyun a little bit more. And more than being hurt, Baekhyun felt angry. How dare Chanyeol make fun of him? After months of emotional torment thinking of the consequences of his feelings, Chanyeol only invalidates his struggle with silly jokes?  _ Utter disrespect! _

“Look, take a cab home and spend a million won for all I care. You don’t need to like me back, but please spare me the mockery. I’m disgusted in myself as it is, I don’t need you to patronize my feelings. Heck, I don’t even wish for you to justify it with an answer. Just fucking g—mmmmph!”

Baekhyun felt like his world dropped off its axis. He was just ranting about how disrespectful Chanyeol was of his feelings, and now he’s kissing him!? What in the world…

After his initial shock, Baekhyun’s eyes fluttered shut as he got carried away by Chanyeol’s prodding tongue, unable to register the thud of Chanyeol’s guitar case on the floor as the latter all but dropped it in favor of hoisting Baekhyun up against his body. The smaller’s legs automatically wrapped around the giant’s waist for dear life, hands crawling up to the latter’s luscious locks to tug him closer, if that was even possible.

In his haze, Baekhyun didn’t know what even happened with how fast things escalated. Next thing he knew, his eyes only opened once more when he felt himself being pushed down on the bed, Chanyeol’s face hovering over his, assaulting his vision. _Woah, so this is how heaven looks like._

“Do I look like I’m disgusted, Baekhyunee?”

“I—I don’t understand. I thought—”

“Well, we apparently both had a lot of thoughts and at the rate this conversation is going, a lot of those thoughts seem untrue. So humor me. What was it that you thought?"

“But… You’re straight.”

“Me? I thought you were straight! You certainly looked like you enjoyed pretty Jieunnie’s kiss earlier that you even got speechless.”

“First of all, ew. I was speechless because you ignored me after singing me that “birthday song”, which, by the way, Creep is anything but. Seriously, Chanyeol. You kept on telling me about your ex-girlfriend this, ex-girlfriend that. What was I supposed to think?”

“I was just trying to see if you got jealous!”

“By making me think you never got over your ex… who was a girl. Right!”

“Oh, fine.” 

Chanyeol gave up as he plopped beside Baekhyun, propping his head on his elbow and urging Baekhyun to face him with a hand on his shapely hips. The lack of space between their heated bodies didn’t help to ease the pounding in Baekhyun’s chest from all the revelations, but he kept mum in his need to know what really went down with them. “I guess my methods aren’t the best, but…”

Baekhyun could only snort. “They are hardly ‘methods’, Chanyeolee.”

“Jeez. Now you’re just being an asshole. Not that I have a problem with your asshole. In fact, I have been imagini—”

“Park Chanyeol!”

“Ow! Why are you so violent!?”

“Why do you even say things like that?”

“What? I thought tonight is honesty night? But okay, as I was saying before your cute little butt distracted me figuratively and…” Baekhyun jerked when he felt a squeeze on his lower cheek. “... literally. I was just testing the waters.” 

“By recounting your undying love for the boobies of your ex-girlfriends during every subway ride home. Right…”

“I may have overexaggerated, okay!? Sue me. If you must know, I only had one ex-girlfriend. She dumped me via text while I was folding the 94th paper crane out of a hundred I was going to give her for our 100th day.”

“But you said…”

“Well, I just wanted to sell myself. I figured if you thought a lot of people dated me, you’d start to want to try it out yourself. Now that I think about it, you’re right. That may have confused you a little.”

“A little… A little!? I was confused a lot, you silly oaf! You’d be all up in my personal space, squeezing my waist as you pull me closer to listen to those sappy love songs of yours, then next thing I know, you’d be all “Broooo you wouldn’t believe this girl I dated in 12th grade…”

Chanyeol could only smile sheepishly, feeling guilty as he stroked Baekhyun’s forehead to rid it of a blooming scowl.

“Sorry. I must admit, I didn’t think it through. Sehunnie told me jealousy is the most telling in determining if someone likes you or not, but I’m afraid he didn’t get into specifics so I had to improvise.

“Sehun knows about this!?”

“I mean, yeah. I think everybody does.”

“What!? What does everybody know!?”

“That I am completely, irrevocably, utterly in love with you Byun Baekhyun, twenty years old, from Bucheon.”

The butterflies in Baekhyun’s stomach might as well have transformed into giant anacondas by now. The way Chanyeol confessed so simply made his heart throb in a not-so-simple way. As an afterthought though, Baekhyun felt like shaking his head. Even in confessions, Chanyeol was way  _ way _ better than him.

“S-Stop. You’re embarrassing.”

“It is only but the truth, my love.”

“Chanyeol!”

“Fine! But yeah, everybody knew how whipped I am for you. Heck, I thought even you knew.”

“How was I supposed to know that my supposedly straight best friend liked me back, huh?”

“Well, for one, maybe because I live in Gangnam where SM is and my house is like five minutes away but I always choose to travel two hours more just to bring you home? I mean, Grandma Byun’s sweet potatoes are to die for, but I’m more interested in something… someone else she made? Because in a way, she did make you, right? By making your mother, who then in turn made you… but I digress… Case in point, I thought you knew I was courting you. Seems like a miscalculation on my part. Alas, here we are.”

“You were courting me!?”

“That’s your take away?”

“Chanyeol! Seriously!”

“I am nothing but serious, Baekhyunee. I really thought you understood. I even assumed the feeling was mutual when Mama Byun called me your boyfriend on the phone…”

“You heard that!?”

“Well, the dorm walls aren’t as thick as they would like you to believe. Anyway, I thought I did or said something wrong for you to get mad at me. I even consulted with the others and we came to a conclusion that you got pissed because I wasn’t able to do something special for your birthday. But we were just so busy and I never really had the opportunity to make amends because you’ve been pushing me away all this time. So I came up with a plan to surprise you with a song. I guess that backfired.”

“How so?”

“Well, Jieun happened.”

This time, Baekhyun couldn’t help the laugh he let out at Chanyeol’s immediate pout.

“Were you jealous of my cousin!?”

“In my defense, you two look nothing alike.”

“Yeah, well. Jieun has always been pretty since we were children while I—” Putting himself down seemed to be an impulse for Baekhyun at this point and his words brought back Chanyeol’s frown.

“While you, were born beautiful.” 

_ Damn Park Chanyeol, you smooth talker.  _

Baekhyun could only bury his face on Chanyeol’s chest to hide his burning face, relishing in the warmth of Chanyeol’s embrace that seemed to instantaneously thaw the coldness in his heart brought about by his misconceptions. He felt a little stupid as well. All this could have been avoided if they’d only talked from the get go?  _ Who knew??? _

Both reveled in the wonderful moment in silence, just letting the warmth of their newly found discoveries soak in. The peace, however, was once again interrupted by Baekhyun’s watch which signalled that another hour had passed. He should seriously turn said function off but it was more of a force of habit at this point. Baekhyun felt a little sad when the sound prompted Chanyeol to disentangle from him, hurriedly walking up to his forgotten guitar on the floor and fumbling with something in the pockets of the case. However, he was back beside Baekhyun in no time, prompting the latter to sit up as he was handed a small box with a sky pattern printed on it.

“W-What is this?”

“Open it.”

And so Baekhyun did. Inside was a simple silver band. Too overwhelmed to speak, Baekhyun only managed to gape as Chanyeol removed the ring from its perch on the mini pillow holder and slid it on his left ring finger. Baekhyun went on to turn his palm up to inspect the ring, mesmerized even more when he realized that there was an engraving he hadn’t noticed at first glance.

PCY ♥ BBH

“Belated happy birthday, Baekhyunee. Do you like it?”

Too overcome with happiness, Baekhyun felt like tearing up.

“I wanted to give it to you on your birthday, but you were still ignoring me then and I didn’t really have the opportunity to ask you with the others around.”

“Ask me what?”

“Byun Baekhyun, twenty years old, from Bucheon. Will you be Park Chanyeol;s, nineteen years old, from Gangnam boyfriend? At least for now, I definitely need to save up for a shinier one with stones in the future when I ask you to be my husband.”

“I—I love it. I love you. Yes! I will be your boyfriend.”

And they sealed it with a kiss. And then _some more._

But then the door suddenly burst open to reveal a smirking Mama Byun.

“Not your boyfriend, huh Baekhyunee?”

“Moooooooom!” Baekhyun whined, cheeks burning not only because of their previous activities. Chanyeol merely chuckled at the cuteness, pecking his nose as soon as Mama Byun’s cackles had retreated as she closed the door behind her and let the two love birds be.

Two hearts slept peacefully beating alongside each other that night as they welcomed the start of a new chapter in their lives. A new day. A start to their forever.

**_May 19, 2012_ **

BONUS 1

**PROLOGUE**

Chanyeol was agitated doing nothing. Their manager passed by earlier to inform them that the company had finally casted some potential main vocalists for their upcoming group. He was excited to see the list of his new prospective band mates on the bulletin board. It’s been so long and their planned debut date was less than a year away, but the company seemed to have not decided on their main vocalists yet. There were strong contenders in the group he was training with as is, but one of their managers hinted that SM conducted another quick audition to fill in two more of the same position. He wonders just how good these upcoming trainees were if a company as perfectionist as SM decided to have them on board a mere seven months before a group debut.

As soon as the same manager went back to the practice room with a piece of paper in his hand, Chanyeol sprung up to his feet and stalked towards the bulletin, reaching just in time to read the contents as soon as it was tacked on. Of the five names on the roster of new trainees, one particularly caught Chanyeol’s eye.

**Byun Baekhyun**

伯 - Baek, as in elder ; 賢 - Hyun as in virtuous

Baekhyun - Wise and Virtuous

_ What an interesting name. Must be an interesting fellow as well,  _ he mused.

Chanyeol can hardly wait to meet him. He just didn’t know he’ll be meeting his  _ future _ at the time.

BONUS 2

**EPILOGUE**

“Bruhhhh. Bruuuuh. You mean to say he didn’t know you were courting him? Wow, that’s just an all time low even for you, Park Chan!”

“Shut up.”

“Stop teasing him, Sehunnie. What’s important is that we’re together now,”

“And you could have been sooner if this idiot had just made himself clear.”

“You brat! Actions speak louder than words.”

“Yeah? And look where that got you. To think you even named that beloved guitar of yours after him, and still nothing?” 

“What? I thought you said you named it after BumbleBEE!”

“Baekhyunee, you know I don’t like movies. I just didn’t want to be too obvious.”

“And by not being obvious, you’ve made your crush so oblivious that he didn’t even know you were courting him! Hahaha way to go Park Chanyeol, your heartthrob reputation is dead!”

Chanyeol oh-so-badly wanted to punch Sehun’s smug smirk off his handsome face.

“Well, Baekhyun  _ hyung, _ haven’t you been raving about how your precious Chanyeolee is so perfect. What can he not do? There goes your answer, He couldn’t court you properly, apparently.”

“You jerk!!!” This time, Chanyeol couldn’t help but chuck the water bottle in his hand at Sehun’s head in annoyance. The silly  _ maknae  _ even had the audacity to wag his tongue at him as he ran away and out of the door, leaving the couple alone in the practice room.

“You really did like  _ like _ me? I was your crush? So when you asked me to take you home, you did mean home 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦… Oh Chanyeolee, you naughty boy. To think I even felt mildly guilty that my mind went there when you said that.”

The giant pouted, cheeks flush in embarrassment. He wasn’t informed it was “bully Chanyeol day” today. “Baby, not you too!” 

Baekhyun merely chuckled, eyes smiling in that way Chanyeol adored so much. 

“Well, do go on. I want to hear how head over heels in love you were with my greatness.”

“Are, not were. And running the risk of it getting to your head, yes, I am very much so. You wouldn’t believe how devastated I was when you started ghosting me. I mean, I tell you I felt a spark in the first ten seconds I held your gaze, and you thought I wasn’t serious!?”

Baekhyun started to feel the familiar guilt creeping onto him, smiling sheepishly as he tried to worm his way out of the sticky situation. “But Chanyeolee… Technically. I couldn’t have ghosted you if I didn’t know we had something going on, right?”

“That only made it worse! Our mutual understanding wasn’t mutual after all. I thought you felt the spark too! Do you know how awkward it was to dodge the members’ questions if we were having a lovers’ quarrel that time you were ignoring me? We weren’t even lovers for Christ’s sake. You won’t even ride the subway home with me anymore!”

Baekhyun could only laugh out loud at his overgrown baby of a boyfriend. Because, yes, he did feel the spark. But he was having too much fun working up his boyfriend to admit that just now.

“Stop laughing! That scoundrel Sehun even had the cheek to rub salt on my wound when you started clinging to him but wouldn’t even look at me. Do you realize how ironic and humiliating it was for the campus crush Park Chanyeol to get ignored by his one and only crush!?” “Hey! You were my crush too!”

“But I didn’t know that! How was I supposed to know when you introduced me to Mama Byun as your ‘trainee life best friend’ every chance you got? It wasn’t even just best friend in general. You had to qualify. I resented Love Light friend for a while because of that.”

“You know how mom is. I just didn’t want it to be obvious I liked you that way.”

“Congratulations, you succeeded by clinging onto Sehun like a baby koala all the time then.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I admit I did cling to Sehunnie, but only because I missed you.”

“You miss me, so you cuddle somebody else!? I see how it is.”

“To be fair, you two have more or less similar heights. It was a force of habit okay?”

“Whatever. You left me hanging. Not to mention, I had to face the obnoxious teasing by the members, asking which base we were already on when I haven’t even gotten to hold your beautiful hands at the time!”

Baekhyun could only shake his head at his giant boyfriend’s antics, a bright foolproof idea suddenly springing in his mind. He slowly crawled over to bridge what little remaining space left there was between him and his boyfriend who was leaning against the “sky wall” of the practice room. He smiled slightly at the reminder of how it all begun.

But focusing back to the task at hand, Baekhyun smirked as he moved to straddle his awestruck boyfriend, taking pleasure in the way he finally shut him up from his earlier rant. As he looked up to see how the giant’s pupils dilated as they held each other’s gaze, he knew Chanyeol was a goner. 

“In that case… Why don’t you let me make it up to you by providing you material for an answer the next time they ask that question, hmmm?”

Chanyeol couldn’t say he was opposed to the idea even if he wanted to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i'm not really sure about that part about Baekhyun's name. i just read about it here : https://www.wattpad.com/152707849-all-about-exo-exo-names-meaning  
> \- unbeta'd as per usual. ya know the drill!


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